


Link Our Worlds, Yours and Mine

by Rapis_Razuri



Series: Blossoms & Brynhildr [5]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Cross-cultural, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Invisible Kingdom | Revelation Route, LeoSaku Week 2016, No Deeprealms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-09-11 01:30:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8947789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rapis_Razuri/pseuds/Rapis_Razuri
Summary: “There's no reason why Forrest shouldn't be proud to be your son as well as mine.”[LeoSaku Week Day 5: Tranquility/Anxiety]





	

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Tranquility/Anxiety  
> Word Count: 1223  
> Notes: Revelation route. Title comes from AmaLee's cover of “Dearly Beloved.”

At five days old, Forrest was _tiny_. Tiny and fragile with plump cheeks and a soft, oddly shaped head too big for his body fitted snugly in a knitted cap Aunt Camilla made for him, he drooled as he watched his father right back, his gray eyes filled with curiosity.

 _He knows me_ , Leo thought, his heart swelling in a way he never thought was possible. Even as Forrest closed his eyes and opened his mouth, the beginnings of another cry - he had a strong set of lungs, the midwife had claimed was a good sign - the uncharacteristically adoring smile didn’t leave the Dark Knight’s face as he gently picked the babe up the way Cassita showed him and said to his wife, “I think he’s hungry.”

Sakura put down her needlework and came to take Forrest from him. “I think he is too,” she said, bringing their son to her breast. She had been sitting on a pile of cushions as she worked her sewing, but she moved to the chair across from her husband’s to nurse their son.

The documents Xander had sent him just shy of being forgotten, Leo found himself unable to pull himself away from the sight. It still felt a little unreal at times. He's _married_. To an amazing woman who he genuinely loves and who loves him back, no less - Not that their marriage hadn't been without controversy, but that was a minor thing as far as he was concerned - and they have a _child_ together. A little boy they were responsible for raising, someone Leo could pass his learnings to, someone who can inherit Brynhildr when he was gone.

Forrest was done feeding and he makes a little gurgling sound. Sakura giggled and snuggled him close, but made no movement to put him back into his cradle. She looked so radiant and happy, it’s hard to believe that a week ago, she had been fretting over everything and was _so nervous_.

Not that Leo blamed her. _He_ had been fretting and nervous during the period leading up to Forrest’s expected birth date. The actual birth hadn’t been much better. After a particularly bad contraction, Sakura had insisted that he leave, not wanting him to watch and Leo has never felt so _useless_ and not to mention, completely and utterly out of his element.

He still kind of is, actually. He didn’t doubt that Sakura would make a wonderful parent, only himself. No one wrote _books_ on how to be a father and the only real example he had was what he could remember of his father. Garon certainly had been an affectionate and doting father, but Leo was hesitant about using him as his _sole_ reference for raising his son - especially since he knew what his father had become.

And besides… there was that _other_ factor Leo has been thinking over for a while. He had been hesitant about breaching the topic during the late stages of Sakura’s pregnancy, but he couldn’t put it off any longer. Better they address this now than come into conflict about it later. “Sakura?”

She raised her head. “What is it?”

He drummed his fingers on the side of the bassinet before speaking, wanting to make sure he was using the right words. “I’ve been thinking about how Forrest is the first Nohrian royal to be born to a Hoshidan mother.”

For a time, he and his siblings had believed Corrin held that dubious honor - allegedly one of the reasons why Father claimed Corrin’s isolated upbringing was for his own safety - but now that it was proven false, Leo couldn't help but worry for his son’s future.

The expression on Sakura’s face told him that she had been thinking of the same thing herself. She hadn't been welcomed in Nohr at first even when she was simply a diplomat for her country. As a princess of Hoshido, she had to work twice as hard to earn half the respect. Learning to speak and contribute in council sessions she was invited to attend was the start, but she fared best in working with his sisters to establish clinics and orphanages for their people, heading the negotiations to encourage healers from Izumo to move to Nohr and persuading her family to lower the taxes of importing of herbs and medicine from Hoshido.

So when their engagement had been announced, she had won enough favor in Nohr that no one spoke up against it. However, this tentative approval didn't meant that _Forrest_ would be wholly accepted for his blood.

Sakura adjusted Forrest’s blankets before replying. “I have made my peace with the idea that Forrest will grow up entirely Nohrian,” she admitted, “I was – _am_ sad that I won't be able to share my homeland’s culture and history with him, but better that than our son not fitting in. I experienced that with the other shrine maidens I trained with… I don’t want him to go through that.”

Leo knew his wife experienced bouts of homesickness at times, even if she never liked to say so, even to him. “You are his _mother_ ,” he insisted, “I don't want Forrest to grow up feeling ashamed of his mixed blood, especially not when the woman he gets it from is one of the bravest people I know.”

Sakura flushed at this. Leo was fairly certain that she could find the miracle cure to every illness and disease known to humankind and still be reduced to a blushing and stuttering mess at the the smallest praise. He found her genuine humility endearing as much as it was admirable, but he really wished she would give herself more credit at times.

Taking a deep breath, he continued more quietly, “There's no reason why Forrest shouldn't be proud to be _your_ son as well as mine, Sakura.” He walked over to them, kneeling so he could see them both. He remembered being dragged away from outside the birthing room by Xander, the giddy maid that came to inform him that it was over, and Sakura, exhausted and crying, but deliriously happy because the worst was over and their baby was here and he was healthy and strong.

“Leo…” Sakura's fingers found themselves combing through his hair. “It… it won't be easy.”

“I know.”

“Y-you really wouldn't mind if Forrest grew up knowing my culture as well?”

“I would like nothing better.”

“E-even if other people give you both a hard time for it?”

“They're going to give us a hard time for something or another anyway,” he titled his head up. Sakura’s hand stilled. “At least if Forrest knows there's no shame in being half-Hoshidan, it can't be used as a weapon against him.”

“T-true…” She still sounded unsure, “I-I will trust your judgement on that, Leo… You grew up here, you would know better than I would.”

Yes, he did grow up here didn't he? Topographically, so would his son, but not in the same Castle Krakenberg he did. Forrest was lucky in ways Leo never was, but he'll face challenges Leo never would. “Sakura,” he reached up and laced his fingers through her’s, “Forrest will be fine. He is our son and he will have us to help him. _Both_ of us.”

 


End file.
